Meaning of the Surname: ROBICHAUD
Origin of the Surname:
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The Robicheau family. This name, derived from "Robin" or "Robert", can be written in many different forms: Robicheau, Robichau, Robicheaux, Robichaud, Robichaux, Robichault, Robicho, Robichaut, Robisheau, Robichoe, Robichoc?, Robichoct, Raubichau, Robucho, Robuchon, Roubichaux, Robishau, Robshaw, Rubishaw, Rubichau, Robichot, and Robichou.
The ancient French form Rébéchaud is found in Charles de Menou d'Aulnay records at the Parish Registers of La Chaussée. (La Chaussée is located near the town of Loudun, France and means 'the way', in reference to a roman way) La Chaussée was in 1961 a small village of 306 habitants. The same number of villagers still applies in 1981. It is situated in the old French province of Poitou. From this province came a majority of the French Acadian families, including the Robicheau family. Our story begins with the mention of Estienne Robicheau, on the first Acadian census of 1671, who is supposed to be the first French Acadian with the Robicheau name.
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1st Generation
Étienne "Estienne" Robichaud**,born 1639, died before census of 1686 Port Royal, married
Françoise Boudrot, born around 1642, prob. mar. 1663
Children of Étienne & Françoise Boudrot:
1. Madeleine- born ar. 1664, died June 8, 1710, married Pierre Landry at Port Royal around 1682
2. Charles- born ar. 1667, died May 18 1737, married Marie Thibodeau after census of 1686.
2nd marr. with Marie Bourg, June 18, 1703
3. Prudent- born ar. 1669, died 02/1756, married to Henriette Petitpas Feb 7, 1692
4. Marie Marguerite- born ar. 1672, married Denis Petitot (Saint-Seine) at Port Royal ar. 1687 (surgeon)
5. Alexandre- born ar. 1675, died Mar 26, 1742 , married Anne Melanson (1697 or 1701)
6. François- born ar. 1677, died Dec 8, 1747, married Marie Madeleine Thériot ar. 1702, born 1681
(Daughter of Claude & Marie Gautrot)
Note on Charles Robichaud
Charles Robichaud was born in Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1667. He was the eldest son of Étienne and Françoise(Boudrot) Robichaud. Charles along with his descendants were called “Cadets” (meaning youngest one!) to distinguish them from the Prudents and the “Nigannes”.
In 1686, he married Marie Thibodeau who passed away in 1700, leaving him with 10 children.
On June 18, 1703, in a second marriage, he married Marie Bourg, widow of Jean Dubois of Port Royal in the presence of his brothers, Prudent, Alexandre and François. From his second marriage, there were seven children including a second son named Joseph. Charles soon learned the art of moving from one place to another.
His house and land, which were situated on the actual grounds of Fort Anne, in Annapolis were expropriated from him to build an extension to the fort. This was witnessed on December 2, 1705, by the land surveyor, Lord de Labat.
By the census of 1700, Charles seemed to be doing pretty good, as he had 12 heads of cattle, 14 sheeps, on 16 acres of land. Due to the expropriation, he moved with his family to a parcel of land near a cape close to Port Royal, on a small hill to the interior of the land approximately ½ mile from the fort. Unfortunately, the fort did not offer him the necessary security to protect him from the raids of some New England settlers.
After a foiled attack by Colonel Church in 1704, a more successful one on June 6, 1707, caused a large amount of damage, including the burning down of the church, stores and a number of houses at the cape although Port Royal went to the British in 1710.
In August of 1714, La Ronde Denys de Pensens prepared a list of the heads of families living in and around Annapolis Royal, renamed by the British in 1713, it included Charles Cadet and his family, 8 sons, 2 daughters. He was still living there in 1718, the year that his last child , Marguerite, had been born.
Meanwhile though, living in the Annapolis area surrounded by the English, life became unbearable for Charles and his family. Like many others, Charles eyed the fertile lands of the Minas Basin and the Truro area. Here the French Acadians were far away from the English and could sell their cattle to Louisbourg. Truro was a good location with the sea to make connections to Prince Edward Island. This is where we find Charles in 1720.
Truro was not a small place like we know it today, but rather covered a vast territory comprising all the surrounding Minas Basin. Actually, all around Cobequid Bay, French Acadians had settled themselves on higher ground along the banks of the rivers. On these prairies, they would harvest a good quality prairie hay and at the same time aquired good pasture land for their cattle to graze upon. These herds constituted an important source of revenue for the Acadians in this region. They could use a road leading to Tatamagouche, and then transport their cattle by boat to Louisbourg where they were sold as provisions for the French troops stationed there.
The Cobequid Bay area, besides being a comfortable place provided an excellent secure area as the bay was difficult to navigate with large vessels. But if an attack occurred, they could walk to the upper river and be under the protection of the Indian people who resided there. A reason why a great majority of the French Acadians of the area were captured and deported in the expulsion of 1755 was because of a long pathway leading around the bay, they were followed and captured by British soldiers. Today, that pathway is actually a highway going from Parrsboro to Truro.
Charles Robichaud had actually established himself in the Cobequid Bay area on the banks of the Great Village River, today known as “Great Village”, Nova Scotia. During the late 1920’s, one could still see traces of Acadian gardens and bricks used for cooking ovens. This village would only have had three or four families, maybe Charles and some of his children and probably would have been named Cadet Village from the name Charles Cadet.
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2nd Generation
Charles Robichaud, born ar. 1667, died before May 18, 1737,
first Marriage 1686, wed Marie Thibodeau born 1664, died 1701.?
1. Angelique- born 1687, died 17__,
2. Charles-(twin) born 1690, died Oct 26, 1702.
3. Rene-(twin) born 1690, died Aug 1, 1765 LA USA,
4. Antoine- born 1692, died 17__,
5. Augustin- born 1693, died 17__.
6. Jean- born 1694, died bef. Nov 6, 1758, married Marie Léger Nov 23, 1717
7. Alexandre- born 1695, died 17__, married ? Bourg, ar. 1726
8. Joseph- born 1697, died bef. July 1, 1760, married Madeleine Dupuis May 24, 1725
9. François- born 1698, died May 2, 1759 in La Gonais, France, married Agathe Turpin, ar. 1728
10. Jacques- born 1700, died 17__ .
2nd Marriage of Charles Robichaud, wed Marie Bourg, June 18, 1703, in Port Royal
1. Joseph- born 1704, died March 12, 1759, in St-Servan, France, married Claire LeBlanc Apr 30, 1726
2. Marie Madeleine- born Sept 25, 1705, Port Royal, died Mar 27, 1707, Port Royal.
3. Pierre**- born Apr 25, 1707, Port Royal, died 17__, married Suzanne Brassaud, ar. 1730
4. Charles- born Mar 10, 1709, Port Royal, died Jun 8, 1710
5. Marie- born 1712, married Pierre Arosteguy, May 18, 1737
6. Claire- born Mar 4, 1713, Port Royal, died Oct 22, 1786, St-Martinville, LA Usa, married Jean-Baptiste Hébert.
7. Cecile- born Apr 5, 1715, Port Royal, died June 12, 1756 at Port-Lajoie, I.P.E., married Pierre Boudrot, ar. 1740
8. Marguerite- born Apr 14, 1718, died Mar 12, 1796, Bécancour, Qué., married to Claude Hébert, ar. 1748.
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